Oklahoma
Boston Celtics (26-9) at Oklahoma City Thunder (29-5) Game #36 1/5/25
In what very well may be a preview of this year’s NBA Finals, the Celtics take on the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 3rd game of a 4 game road trip. The Celtics opened the trip with wins over the Timberwolves and the Rockets. this is the first of 2 games between these two teams this season. They will meet for the 2nd and final time in Boston on March 12. They split the series 1-1 the last two seasons with each team winning on their home court. The Celtics are 79-66 overall all time against the Thunder and they are 39-38 in games played in Oklahoma City.
The Celtics remain 2nd in the East, 4.5 games behind the first place Cleveland Cavaliers, who have win their last 8 games. The Celtics are now 2 ahead of the 3rd place Knicks, who won 9 straight before losing their last game to the Thunder. The Celtics are 12-3 on the road and they are 6-4 in their last 10 games. They are 4-2 against Western Conference opponents and have won their last 3 games.
The Thunder are in first place in the West. They are 6.5 games ahead of 2nd place Memphis and 7 ahead of 3rd place Houston. They are 9 games ahead of the 4th place Los Angeles Lakers. They are 15-2 at home and they are 10-0 in their last 10 games. They are 10-0 against Eastern Conference opponents and they currently have a 14 game win streak.
The Thunder made several key moves in the off season. The biggest move may have been signing Isaiah Hartenstein away from the NY Knicks. He has especially been important due to the absence of Chet Holmgren. They also traded Josh Giddey for Alex Caruso. They drafted Nikola Topic, who will miss the entire season with a torn ACL. They also drafted Dillon Jones and Ajay Mitchell, with an eye to the future. Finally, they signed undrafted Alex Ducas to a 2 way contract.
This is the third game of a 4 game Western road trip that started with back to back wins in Minnesota on Thursday and in Houston on Friday. After this game, they will finish the road trip in Denver on Tuesday. They will return home to face 2 more Western Conference teams, Sacramento and New Orleans. They then head to Toronto to face the Raptors again for the 3rd time. They will then host Orlando and Atlanta before their 2nd Western road trip of the month through Golden State, Los Angeles Clippers and Lakers and Dallas.
Kristaps Porzingis returned to the starting lineup in the Celtics’ last game against the Rockets after missing 4 straight games with a sprained ankle. He should be ready to play in this game as well. Al Horford sat out Friday’s game for rest but is expected to return for this game. Jalen Brown has missed the Celtics’ last two games with a shoulder strain and is questionable for this game. I’m using wishful thinking and including him in the starting lineup. If he can’t play once again, Sam Hauser should once again get the start in his place.
For the Thunder, Alex Caruso will miss his 7th game with a hip strain. Cason Wallace will likely continue to start in his place. Chet Holmgren is out with a right iliac hip fracture. I expect Isaiah Hartenstein will continue to start in his place. The Thunder’s 3 two way players are all also out with injuries. Alex Ducas (back), Adam Flagler (finger), and Ajay Mitchell (toe) are all out for this game. Rookie Nikola Topic is out for the season with an ACL tear.
Probable Celtics Starters
PG: Jrue Holiday
SG: Derrick White
SF: Jaylen Brown
PF: Jayson Tatum
C: Kristaps Porzingis
Celtics Reserves
Luke Kornet
Payton Pritchard
Neemias Queta
Sam Hauser
Baylor Scheierman
Jaden Springer
Xavier Tillman, Sr
Jordan Walsh
2 Way Players
JD Davison
Drew Peterson
Anton Watson
Injuries/Out
Jaylen Brown (shoulder) questionable
Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla
Probable Thunder Starters
PG: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
SG: Cason Wallace
SF: Lugentz Dort
PF: Jalen Williams
C: Isaiah Hartenstein
Thunder Reserves
Branden Carlson
Ousmane Dieng
Isaiah Joe
Dillon Jones
Aaron Wiggins
Jaylin Williams
Kenrich Williams
2 Way Players
Alex Ducas
Adam Flagler
Ajay Mitchell
Injuries/Out
Alex Caruso (hip) out
Alex Ducas (back) out
Ajay Mitchell (toe) out
Chet Holmgren (hip) out
Adam Flagler (finger) out
Nikola Topic (ACL) out
Head Coach
Mark Daigneault
Key Matchups
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Jrue Holiday
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
Jrue Holiday vs Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 31.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. He is shooting 52.5% from the field and 35.6% from beyond the arc. Gilgeous-Alexander is tied for the lead in the MVP race and is the key to the Thunder’s winning ways. In order to slow the Thunder, the Celtics must slow down SGA.
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Photo by David Berding/Getty Images
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Jalen Williams
Photo by Joshua Gateley/Getty Images
Jayson Tatum vs Jalen Williams
Williams is averaging 20.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.8 steals per game. He is shooting 48.1% from the field and 35.3% from beyond the arc. Williams can score both inside and out and so the Celtics must stay with him on defense whether he is in the paint or on the perimeter. Jayson Tatum has been playing very well on this road trip and the Celtics need him to continue that trend on both ends of the court in this game.
Honorable Mention
Kristaps Porzingis vs Isaiah Hartenstein
Hartenstein is averaging 12.2 points, 12.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.3 blocks per game. He is shooting 57.3% from the field and 0% from beyond the arc. He is a threat to score inside and is a very good rebounder and shot blocker. The Celtics need to keep him out of the paint and away from the rim.
Keys to the Game
Defense – Defense is always a key to winning. The Thunder average 115.4 points per game (10th) The Celtics average 119.4 points per game (4th). This is going to be a tough matchup for the Celtics as the Thunder are first in the league with a defensive rating of 102.9 while the Celtics are 6th with a defensive rating of 109.4. The Celtics need to tighten up their defense and make playing defense a priority especially against this Thunder team that plays lock down defense. The Celtics need to especially defend the paint since the Thunder are 10th in the league with 49.9 points in the paint per game.
Rebound – Rebounding is also a key to winning. The Celtics need to rebound on the defensive end to keep the Thunder from getting second chance points and they need to rebound on the offensive end to give themselves extra possessions. The Thunder are 18th with 43.6 rebounds per game while the Celtics are 8th with 45.0 rebounds per game. Much of rebounding is desire and effort and the Celtics as a team have to put in the extra effort to grab rebounds.
Take Care of the Ball – The Celtics need to keep their focus and not turn the ball over. The Thunder are 1st in the league with 23.4 points off turnovers per game. They are also 1st with 11.8 steals per game. The Celtics have to move the ball because they are a much better team when they move the ball and don’t over dribble. But they must focus and make careful passes and not get sloppy. They also have to be aware when dribbling the ball so as not to allow the Thunder to get steals. The Thunder will make them pay if they get sloppy and turn the ball over.
Be Focused and Ready for a Tough Game – The Thunder have not lost to an Eastern Conference team this season. They have also only lost 5 games. The Celtics have to be ready to go to the basket if they struggle from three. They also have to be ready to shoot from midrange if both the paint and the perimeter are defended tightly. The Celtics must stay focused on playing hard for 48 minutes and on playing tough defense and on playing the right way.
X-Factors
On the Road – The Celtics are playing in their 3rd straight road game. The Celtics have the advantage of having a mostly healthy roster but then, the Thunder have won 14 straight games in spite of missing some players. The Thunder have the advantage of being at home in front of their fans and they have great fans. The Celtics need to overcome the distractions of travel and playing on the road in front of hostile fans.
Coaching – Joe Mazzulla led the Celtics to a championship in just his second season but Mazzulla didn’t win the Coach of the Year last season. It was Thunder coach, Mark Daigneault that won the Coach of the Year honor. He is also the Coach of the Month for December this season. Both rosters are deep and talented and so coaching may be a factor in this game.
Officiating – Officiating is always an x-factor. How the refs call the game has a big influence on how the teams play. Will they let them play or call every little bit of contact? Will they call it evenly or will they favor one team or the other. It all effects the outcome of the game and the Celtics need to play the right way and not allow the officiating to take them out of their game. The Celtics should never be caught complaining to the refs while the other team goes in for a score.
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New Iowa State wrestling coach Brent Metcalf outlines vision for team
New Iowa State wrestling coach Brent Metcalf outlines vision for team
Iowa State wrestling’s first commitment of the Brent Metcalf era will be a transfer portal addition.
The Cyclones added Oklahoma State transfer Brayden Thompson, who announced his commitment on April 18 via Instagram. Thompson is a one-time NCAA qualifier at the 2024 NCAA Championships, doing so as a true freshman. He redshirted in 2024-25, but competed in open tournaments at 184 pounds and was 9-0. He did not wrestle a match in 2025-26 and will have at least two years of eligibility remaining.
Out of high school, Thompson was ranked the No. 3 pound-for-pound wrestler and No. 1 at 182 pounds in the 2023 recruiting class by Flowrestling. He also won Powerade and Ironman titles, two of the more prestigious high school tournaments in the nation. Assuming Thompson returns to 184 pounds where he last wrestled, he should fill in nicely as a potential replacement for Isaac Dean after his graduation.
Thompson is Iowa State’s first transfer portal addition after several departures, including Anthony Echemendia and Christian Castillo, who also entered the portal.
Eli McKown covers high school sports and wrestling for the Des Moines Register. Contact him at Emckown@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @EMcKown23.
NORMAN — The Oklahoma Sooners liked their wide receiver room a year ago. They want 2026 to be even better.
Isaiah Sategna’s return helps that desire. Earning experienced pass catchers Trell Harris and Parker Livingstone via the transfer portal gives you added play makers. But after the Sooners Spring Game on Saturday, an unlikely hero emerged.
When Jahsiear Rogers flipped from Penn State to Oklahoma last December, he drew the usual excitement that comes with a new commitment. But few expected him to climb the depth chart this quickly, even with the injuries that hit Emmett Jones’ room.
Rogers did just that and more on Saturday. He led all pass catchers with five receptions for 70 yards in Oklahoma’s annual Red/White game.
“I knew it was time to showcase,” Rogers said after the game. “It was amazing to see the fans and get used to the OU way. I’m a playmaker. They really want to put the ball in playmakers hands. I pretty much knew I had to lead the white team.”
Rogers got the ball rolling early. On the second offensive play for the white team, backup quarterback Whitt Newbauer rolled to his right wide, then stopped and looked towards the middle of the field where he saw Rogers running open. Newbauer connected with Rogers for a 39-yard gain.
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With Rogers on the white team, he is running against (most of) Oklahoma’s starting defense. As fate would have it, on that 39-yard reception, Rogers beat his favorite teammate to compete against — Reggie Powers.
“He is just a leader, good guy,” Rogers said of Powers. “Me and him go after it every day in practice. Reggie is strong. When I come at him, I have to really come at him.”
Rogers’ big play over Powers was the second-longest catch of the spring game — Sategna’s 50-yard reception that appeared to be a touchdown before coaches pulled it back to set up a red-zone rep. The other four catches weren’t flashy, but they were important in their own way, and Rogers looked like he belonged on the field.
“I love it. As long as I can get the ball, I can be me. I love it,” Rogers said. “When I am on the field, I am ready to go. I am ready to be a playmaker.”
The season is still months away, and Rogers hasn’t earned a spot high on the depth chart yet. A strong spring and an encouraging Red/White Game can only lead to early playing time if he carries that momentum into summer and fall camp.
More experienced players will return from injury and receivers who’ve been in the program for a few years will have an extra leg-up.
But Rogers is taking everything in stride and leaving no stone unturned in his development.
“Just learning from the older guys,” Rogers said. “Manny Choice, Isaiah Sategna, Trell Harris, Mackenzie Alleyne. Really all of them. We lean on each other, learn from each other. That is kind of how our room is.”
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The Oklahoma baseball team is back in the mix and trending upward.
After a rough few weeks in Southeastern Conference play, the 14th-ranked Sooners have won three of their last four games to get to .500 at just beyond the halfway point of the league slate. Friday’s 9-6 win over Missouri allowed Oklahoma to move to 8-8, tied with three other teams for eighth in the standings.
Friday’s win wasn’t truly that close, even. OU took a 9-3 lead into the ninth before Mizzou made it somewhat interesting with three runs in the frame. Two of them came with two outs, though, and Mason Bixby induced a groundout with the bases empty to hold on.
The large edge came via a home run-happy night. The Sooners popped four over the wall at Kimrey Family Stadium, including three in a four-run seventh inning that gave OU a four-run lead.
Jason Walk, who hit one of the four homers, had the best day at the plate. He went 2 for 5 with the shot, three RBIs and a run. Camden Johnson, who also homered, went 2 for 3 with a walk, a double and two runs, and Dasan Harris went 2 for 4 with a home run, two RBIs, and three runs. Trey Gambill hit the Sooners’ other jack.
Oklahoma jumped out to a four-run lead in the second behind four hits and a walk. Missouri helped the Sooners out with an error that resulted in a bases-loaded situation and three unearned runs registered to Tigers starter Josh McDevitt.
The runs were more than enough for Oklahoma’s LJ Mercurius, who pitched six strong innings, giving up three runs on six hits with no walks and nine strikeouts.
Game 2 in the series is set for 4 p.m. Saturday and the finale will be played Sunday at 2 p.m., weather permitting.
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